#Events Update #EnterpriseMuseum – Backyard Birds Part 1

I’m still here, honest! Had company last week, and a luncheon/tea to host this past Saturday, and a brand-new presentation on backyard birds to prepare for this coming Saturday. (Some days I have to wonder, when am I supposed to WRITE?)

At any rate, I wanted to share this event update with you, in case some of you local folks might want to come. I’m continuing my Central Florida’s Fabulous Wildlife series with a three-parter on Backyard Birds. I get asked about birds people see around their yards all the time, and decided this would be a fun “mini-series” to do. Part 1 is entitled “The Usual Suspects,” and features cardinals, bluejays, titmice, and the more common feeder visitors. Loads of good photos, help with identifying a few you might not know, and tidbits to share on feeding & nesting habits. I’ll be presenting this on Saturday (2/16) at Enterprise Museum, 1:00pm, and it’s FREE, no reservations required. Come on by, if you can.

On March 9, same time & place, I’ll be presenting Backyard Birds Part 2, entitled “The Tricky Ones.” (Tricky in the sense that they are harder to spot, less common, or only seen during spring and fall migrations.

And on March 23, also same time & location, I’ll be presenting Backyard Birds, Part 3, Attracting Birds to Your Yard. This one will focus on various feeder types ( and which birds prefer which kinds), water sources (including bird baths, small ponds, and fountains), and landscaping to provide cover and additional food sources (berries, nectar plants, and seeds).

I know most of you don’t live here in Central Florida, but for those who do, just know it would MAKE my day to see some of you there this Saturday! 🙂 And if you can help me get the word out, I’d greatly appreciate it.

THANKS, you wonderful folks. I’ll do my best to be much more visible around here this week, I promise!

PS: Bet you’ve never seen a cardinal that looks like THIS! If you’d like to
learn more about him, come on by Enterprise Museum this Saturday. 😀

I always do at these events, Olga. Saturday’s tea, for instance, was SO much fun! What a great group of folks! This is the part of (subtle) marketing I like. Having fun with a group of book lovers, sharing new things, and maybe selling a book or two afterward. If nothing else, it’s name recognition and a great time. Not to mention (as I ALWAYS do) building a local readership. When things are slow on Amazon, it’s a huge help. 😀

I’m glad you enjoyed this one! Cardinals are red, as in the first picture. Except when they aren’t. 😀 There are cases of albino cardinals (all white with pink eyes), but more often, they are leucistic (white or partially white, with dark eyes). And then there’s this yellow bird. He’s very, very rare, and I’ll be talking about what makes him that color. (In general terms, as I’m not a biologist or an ornithologist.) I would LOVE to see this guy! 😀 But even in their normal red, they are truly beautiful birds.

I’ve been a birder and nature enthusiast all my life, as far back as I can remember. Between camping, hiking, and canoeing, I’ve seen all sorts of wonderful critters, and hope to continue to enjoy them for many years to come. So glad you enjoyed this. One of these days, when I have time, I may add a Central Florida’s Fabulous Wildlife page to this blog, so I can share things here that might be of interest to some of the folks who visit here often. 🙂

Oh, how I wish I could attend. We’re waiting on another snow storm. We have lots of winter birds including my favorite nut hatches, who can walk down a tree facing forward. How cool is that? Have fun at your events.

Thank you, Donna! Would be lovely to have you join us. We have brown-headed nuthatches down here, but they aren’t common, and I’ve only ever seen one. Yes, the heads-down thing is very cool! I’ll bet you are eager for spring, so I won’t even tell you that I’m wearing shorts today! Haha. Stay warm up there!

If by “he” you mean the yellow cardinal, he IS gorgeous. And very, very, VERY rare. 😀 I’ve never seen one, and I’ve seen thousands of cardinals. Hope your hummers come through okay. Mostly, they know when to migrate, but unexpected weather can confuse them. 🙂

Well, the presentations usually last from 90 minutes to two hours, depending on how many questions are asked and how much back and forth goes on. And I usually have 75 to 80 slides, too. So I don’t know that I could put the whole thing up here, but perhaps I can share a few tidbits here and there, if you’d be interested. Maybe on a special page, or the like. 🙂

My thoughts, exactly. 😀 But maybe a few tidbits or especially pretty images now and then. We’ll see. I’d REALLY like to get back to my weekly schedule and a few of the post topics I used to do regularly. I miss that stuff! *sigh* Why can’t we have it ALL????? 😉

Aw, thanks. I’m trying, honestly. But now I just found out I have to go back to the dermatologist tomorrow for another look at my nose, and I’m once again, concerned. The possibility of losing the top of my ear was bad enough, but my NOSE is right in the middle of my face. Hard to ignore the lack of one!!! Seriously, hoping it’s just another pre-cancer. Those are annoying enough. But the worst part is, it makes for a big interruption in the middle of what was supposed to be a full day of writing! GAH!!!! But, hey, it could be so much worse. So I’ll adjust. And keep playing catch up for a bit longer, that’s all.

You are so right. And I hope it’s nothing, too, because I’ve HAD shots in my nose before, and it hurts worse than you can imagine. 😯 However, I know at least THREE people who are fighting for their lives right now, two of which are fighting against all odds. So as much as it disrupts my daily routine and knocks me a bit farther behind, I know in my logical mind I’m one very lucky lady! I keep reminding myself of that when I start to get frustrated. And good friends like you make it all so much easier, so I do really want to get back to my regular blogging (and blog visiting) SOON! It’s one of my favorite things, for sure. 😀 ❤

You always have the best information about animals. Cardinals have a special place in my heart. I’ve never seen a yellow one before now. My mother just saw one on television that was divided exactly down the middle (half-red, half-beige). The handler with it said it was both male and female in the same bird (very rare). She didn’t catch the whole story, so that’s all we know, but I’d love to learn more.

Thanks so much, Staci! Cardinals are a favorite of mine, too. I have some pictures I’ll be sharing on Saturday with some half-white, half-red birds, and some nearly completely white ones. Lots of birds (maybe all??) can have albino or leucistic forms, but cardinals do seem to exhibit these colorations more than most. Wish you could join us for what I hope will be a very interesting presentation. (I’ll do my best, anyway!) Oh, and we’ll be talking about this yellow guy, too! 😀

I’m sure it will be a fascinating talk and discussion. We love feeding and watching the birds all year round in New Hampshire, USA. We have red cardinals but no yellow ones like your photo. They are both beautiful. What the birds drop from the feeders the squirrels are eating and also the turkeys. Everyone is happy. 🤗

The yellow one is a mutation, and very, very rare. It made news everywhere, I think. As for squirrels, don’t get me started. I don’t mind them getting a share, but they will empty an entire feeder in half an hour. I have to use baffles to keep them from reaching the food! No turkeys in our neighborhood. (No woods nearby.) I do see them on nearby roads, though. And I hope you’re right about the presentation. Will be leaving here soon to head on over to the museum. Can’t wait! Love doing these!! 🙂 Have a great Saturday, Janice! 🙂